Chiefs finish season at .500

SPOKANE — Moses Lake and University found themselves deadlocked in a 17-17 tie as the buzzer sounded at the end of regulation Friday night, sending the Columbia Basin Big Nine Conference-Greater Spokane League crossover into overtime.

After playing through a scoreless first overtime, University found a way to knock off the Chiefs when University’s Aaron Gleason kicked a 44-yard field goal to give the Titans a 20-17 double-overtime victory.

Moses Lake fell to 5-5 overall with the loss and finished .500 in head coach Todd Griffith’s first year leading the program.

“It was a positive year,” he said of his first season as head coach. “When you have a change like that, things can go either way, and it went a positive way.”

Moses Lake took the first lead of the contest early in the first quarter when senior quarterback and place kicker Dylan Signorelli kicked a 29-yard field goal to give the Chiefs their first lead of the half at 3-0.

University responded in front of their home crowd with a field goal of their own when Gleason kicked the ball through the uprights from 25 yards out to tie the game 3-3 heading into the second quarter.

After Moses Lake and University exchanged field goals, the Chiefs found the end zone  first when Signorelli threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to fellow senior and wide receiver Jordan Wilks. Wilks extended his Moses Lake touchdown reception record to nine when he gave the Chiefs a 10-3 halftime lead.

Moses Lake had opportunities to put the game away Friday night, but the Chiefs struggled.

“It was a tough game because there was nothing on the line except for pride,” he said.

“We had chances to break it open and never did. We couldn’t put them away when we had the chances.”

University answered with a touchdown of their own in the third quarter on a one-yard touchdown run to pull even at 10-10.

Moses Lake reclaimed the lead with Signorelli’s second touchdown pass of the night, but University would not go quietly in the season finale for both schools.

University scored late to pull even at 17-17, forcing the crossover contest into overtime.

Neither the Chiefs nor the Titans could find their way onto the scoreboard in the first overtime.

University kept Moses Lake off of the scoreboard in the second time, allowing Gleason’s 44-yard field goal to decide the contest.

Moses Lake fell to 5-5 overall while the Titans improved to 6-4.

After wrapping up his first season as head coach, Griffith said he was proud of his team.

“They were a great group of kids,” he said of his team, especially his seniors. “I think they came out and played hard every week.”